Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith shares story of daughter’s emergency brain surgery

In his recovery from a horrifying leg injury, former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith spent months in a hospital in 2018-19 and he nearly died.

But the mental strain of that ordeal was nothing compared to what he and his wife, Elizabeth, had to deal with last month.

The couple revealed their daughter, Sloane, underwent emergency surgery at Stanford Children’s Health in Palo Alto, California, to remove a malignant brain tumor.

“This is Sloane Kenzington Smith, our baby, the youngest of three and our only girl. She is sweet, selfless, intelligent, hilarious, witty, fun-loving, an artist, a singer, and a dancing machine,” the couple wrote on Elizabeth’s Instagram account. “But most of all she is an incredibly strong girl that has a ton of fight in her. ...

“On May 10th, Sloane was rushed to the ER with stroke-like symptoms. She had an MRI and the doctors quickly informed us that she had a large brain tumor and needed an emergency craniotomy. The 10 hour procedure was the most excruciating time of our lives. A clock has never moved so slowly. The incredible neurosurgeons @stanfordchildrens did a miraculous job and were able to remove 100% of the tumor.

“Sloane — in her true form — bounced back from brain surgery like a rockstar! She didn’t skip a beat. After weeks of waiting on pathology, we learned that Sloane’s tumor is a very rare malignant tumor with very few documented cases — without a clear road map for treatment. We are currently awaiting more tests and gathering as many opinions as we can from doctors across the country to decide the best path forward.”

Alex Smith played for the Chiefs from 2013-17 before being traded to Washington. Smith, who retired after the 2020 season, came into the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick with the 49ers in 2005.

Sloane, 6, was born while her dad was a member of the Chiefs. Here is the post from her parents on the surgery and an update on how she’s feeling.